AEW Dynamite Review – May 24, 2023
International Title Match
Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Kyle Fletcher
The match starts off with Kyle Fletcher goes right after him with a brainbuster for a two count then Orange Cassidy gets whipped into the corner and kicked from the apron to the outside where Fletcher hits him with a suicide dive.
Fletcher stays in control by going to the top rope to taunt the crowd by mimicking Cassidy but Cassidy pushes him off and hits a DDT to the apron that knocks him to the outside.
Cassidy hits a Beach Break on the outside before running back inside telling the referee to start counting Fletcher out but Fletcher gets in at 9. Cassidy takes over until he gets stopped by a thrust kick to the head as Fletcher gets a two count off of it then hits a brainbuster for another two as we head to picture in picture.
After the picture in picture Fletcher kicks Cassidy to the apron but as Cassidy tries a cross body off the top rope gets caught into a Michinoku Driver for a two count then they go back & forth reversing each other for a bit until Fletcher sends Cassidy in the corner with punches.
Cassidy comes back with a brainbuster followed by lazy chops, a thrust kick and Michinkou Driver for a two. Fletcher holds on and hits two back 2 back Tombstones for a two count. They head to the top rope where Fletcher turns a Tombstone into an avalanche Michinkou Driver but Cassidy still is able to kick out.
Fletcher picks up Cassidy but he turns it into a DDT. Fletcher stops an Orange Punch attempt. Fletcher tries another Tombstone but Cassidy reverses into a roll up while crossing the legs for the win.
Winner & Still International Champion: Orange Cassidy (STILL CHAMPION!!!!!)
Backstage Renee Paquette is with Ricky Starks where they say he is in the Blackjack Battle Royal on Sunday. Starks says he’s sick and tired of getting beat up every week by Bullet Club Gold and he’s going to take matters into his own hands. Starks says he will refocus his energy on the Battle Royal but Juice Robinson runs in and starts attacking him & as Starks fights back Jay White attacks Starks from behind and tosses him into an equipment case. White takes a chair and smacks Starks’ back with it and says Starks thinks he’s done with Bullet Club Gold but they say absolutely not as they are having too much fun making his life a living hell.
We have a sit down promo from Jack Perry who talks about the drive he made to this arena and talks about the past drives he ever had here including the first Double or Nothing and with Christian Cage right before he turned on him. Every time he makes the drive he’s a little bit different than before but the same thing is the feeling he gets when he stands in the ring as it gives him a purpose and lets him be the man that he wants to be. That ring lets him live the life he chooses to live and on Monday morning when it comes time to drive back home he’s going to do it as the AEW World Champion.
Cash Wheeler says it would be easy to call Jeff Jarrett trash or carny, but the bottom line is he outsmarted them. More importantly Jarrett has been lucky and on Sunday his luck runs out. Dax Harwood says a couple of guitars won’t keep them down and all the guitars he broke haven’t made him relevant. If Jarrett thinks the head of the tag team of the division is going to be a couple of rejects from TNA, it ain’t going to happen. After Double Or Nothing he might want to call the Queen Of The Mountain for job security and he doesn’t mean Karen Jarrett but Dixie Carter. Mark Briscoe makes his way out and Wheeler says he knows he’s mad but to not let Jarrett and them make him look stupid and FTR would go to hell and back for him. Briscoe says they are blood brothers for life but asks what was up with that piledriver from Harwood last week. Harwood says it was a mistake and tries to apologize but Briscoe smacks him in the face instead of giving him a handshake. Wheeler separates them and tells Briscoe to not let them get in his head. Briscoe heads to the back and pushes Karen Jarrett & Sonjay Dutt off before smacking Jeff Jarrett. Jay Lethal asks for a hug but Briscoe pushes him off and tells him he’s getting tired of this bullsh*t.
We go backstage where Renee Paquette is with Sammy Guevara and says that MJF relayed the message to him that the offer still stands for Guevara to lay down and receive the money. Guevara says hell no and MJF can’t buy everything, as he isn’t for sale. His whole life people have tried him promotions and more money but he told them they can shove their offers right up their ass as he is already living in the real world. Not only has he made it as a pro wrestler but he’s the man who will take the AEW World Title from MJF.
Trios Titles Open House Match
House Of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King & Buddy Matthews) (c) vs. AR Fox, Metalik & Blake Christian
Buddy Matthews & Blake Christian starts the match off but quickly everyone starts coming in and out of the ring until Malakai Black takes control over Christian then they start diving to the outside before Brody King gets in AR Fox’s face stopping him from diving and taking him out with a clothesline but gets trip up running the ropes and sent to the outside where Christian & Metalik attack him before Fox jumps on them with a senton. Matthews dodges a 450 Splash from Fox on the inside and hits a stomp then Matthews locks Fox in a Prisom Trap but the rope break can’t stop him Christian tries to stop him but King stops Christian as Fox taps out.
Winners By Submission & Still Trios Champions: House Of Black (STILL CHAMPIONS!!!!)
We go to the Blackpool Combat Club in the back where Bryan Danielson talks about Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta winning the ROH World Tag Team titles tonight and this Sunday them ending The Elite. Jon Moxley calls themselves the best in the world and when he says that his hand doesn’t shake as it’s the standard they set for themselves every single time they step in the ring. They do the job the way it’s meant to be done and there is nobody in this world better at it than them. This is the major leagues and only one thing matters are you willing to stand in the line of fire stand up to the plate and deliver when it counts this Sunday it’s going to count and they will deliver. In the storm of violence they will stand tall. Ready, take aim and fire and you will see the difference between professionals and amateurs.
AEW World Champion MJF makes his way to the ring not before taking Tony Schiavone’s water and tossing it back into his face. MJF says it’s funny they call this place Sin City but when he looks around this arena he thinks they should change it to Virgin Vegas. MJF stars running down his opponents with things he feels they should do including Jack Perry stepping into an echo chamber so he could bore himself to death. MJF starts talking about how the four pillars aren’t just a part of AEW but they are AEW and brings up others having cheat codes and appeared elsewhere before. MJF says he doesn’t want to be anymore and is kind of bored here and sick of this place. He’s sick of the lack of competition and sick of the AEW fans not showing him the respect he so greatly deserves. MJF brings up how Tony Khan knows that his contract is coming up and it’s not a coincidence that he doesn’t have to be pinned to lose his belt as Tony Khan is hitting the panic button and they should be worried as he might just take his ball and go home as it’s his ball and he earned it. He ran with the ball faster than anyone can keep up with as nobody on this roster is on the level of the devil.
Darby Allin makes his way out and says he’s lost a lot in his life but never lost his mind as he knows where is he going. Everybody told him to play it safe and he listened to those people, but it got him working at the 99 cent store cleaning toilets. He moved from Seattle to Atlanta and lived in his car and told himself he can’t leave the car until he makes it as a professional wrestler. He brings up how no other company will let him skateboard with Tony Hawk or climb Mount Everest. He says he’s not a puppet and to become the face of AEW and says he might take the AEW World Title with a headlock takeover as MJF kicks him down low before MJF can attack him with the diamond ring Sammy Guevara runs out and chases MJF away as MJF is heading to the back Jack Perry comes out and takes him out with a clothesline.
We get a quick promo from TNT Champion Wardlow & Arn Anderson talking about how there are 4 days before Wardlow takes on Christian Cage at Double Or Nothing in a Ladder Match as Anderson holds up the 4 Horsemen symbol.
Taya Valkyrie vs. Lady Frost
Lady Frost takes Taya Valkyrie down with headscissors but Valkyrie comes back with an arm drag and attacks Frost in the corner with kicks and hits a sliding lariat for a two count. Valkyrie continues with chops but Frost dodges a spear in the corner and hits a high kick before getting taken out with a clothesline for a two count. TBS Champion Jade Cargill, Leila Grey & Mark Sterling make their way out to watch the match as they go to picture in picture.
After the break Frost is in control and hits a twisting dive off the top rope but Valkyrie comes right back with a spear. Valkyrie comes back with a stomp but starts taunting Cargill instead of going for the pin then Valkyrie follows with a backbreaker then a knee strike before hitting Road To Valhalla for the win.
Winner: Taya Valkyrie
We go backstage to Tony Khan who says it’s great to be back to where everything began as he talks about the start of Collision on June 17th. Tony Khan says the 1st episode of Collision will take place from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Alex Marvez is backstage with Hangman Page and asks for his status with him, Kenny Omega & Young Bucks. Page says he & Omega never considered themselves friends but family and family takes them to Anarchy In The Arena this Sunday. The price they paid is too high and this Sunday they will pay in blood.
Tony Schiavone says everyone has agreed to no physical contact tonight as Adam Cole goes and signs the contract right away. Cole says for weeks he wondered by Chris Jericho did what he did and he couldn’t eat or sleep. Cole brings up what they did to Britt Baker and how Jericho directed traffic and calls Jericho a scumbag and a disgusting human being. Cole says Jericho did it because he thinks he is invincible and they will find out who invincible he is this Sunday when he beats the living hell out of him. The blood will be on Cole’s hands and that’s just the way he likes it and he hopes Jericho knows it’s taking all the power inside of him to not beat him within an inch of his life. Cole said on Sunday he will break both his legs, shatter his jaw and his hand, and tells Jericho to sign the paper, b*tch. Jericho says he’s not a b*tch as he’s not from Las Vegas and goes to sign the paper. Jericho says before he signs he brings up how Cole’s head injury must have messed up his memory and reminds Cole what happened by showing footage of what happened. Jericho asks what kind of a man would allow the love of his life to get the crap kick out of her, as Strong goes to hold Cole back from attacking Jericho. Jericho calls Cole a coward and says he will knock his teeth down his throat. Jericho signs the contract and says there are 5 of them and only 2 of them. Cole said he made a phone call to someone who lives here in Las Vegas and brings out Sabu & Sabu tosses a chair into Matt Menard’s face as the rest of Jericho Appreciation Society escapes.
We get a video package of the Women’s Title match at Double Or Nothing.
Roderick Strong vs. Daniel Garica
Match starts off with a chop exchange then Roderick Strong hits a backbreaker as we go to picture in picture.
After the break Daniel Garcia is in control while doing his dances then they go back & forth before Garcia puts on the Dragon Tamer but Strong breaks out as he hits a gutbuster follow End Of Heartache for the win.
Winner: Roderick Strong
We hear from Willow Nightingale as they show footage of her beating Mercedes Mone and winning the NJPW Strong Women’s Title.
They run down the card for Double Or Nothing.
ROH World Tag Team Titles Match
Lucha Bros (Pentagon Jr & Rey Fenix) (c) vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta)
Match starts off with both teams brawl then Blackpool Combat Club get sent to the outside and hit with double dives. Pentagon Jr hits a top rope crossbody to them before Rey Fenix dives himself. They head back inside and both teams are fighting still until it’s Pentagon & Claudio Castagnoli as Wheeler Yuta holds on to Fenix’s leg but Fenix gets free but springboards into an uppercut by Castagnoli for a two count as we head to picture in picture.
After the break Castagnoli hits the Giant Swing on Fenix as Yuta hits a dropkick on him for a two count from Castagnoli then Fenix starts attacking both in the corners before Lucha Bros take out Yuta with a double superkick. Castagnoli catches Fenix into a press slam but Pentagon takes him out with a Canadian Destroyer as Fenix hits a piledriver on Yuta for a two count.
Castagnoli takes out Fenix with an uppercut and launches Yuta onto Fenix but only gets a two count & as Alex Abrahantes is distracting the referee Young Bucks hold Castagnoli back as Lucha Bros hits double stomp/Fear Factor on Yuta for the win.
Winners & Still ROH World Tag Team Champions: Lucha Bros (STILL CHAMPIONS!!!!!)
After the match Jon Moxley & Bryan Danielson run down and chase Young Bucks out into the crowd. Moxley gets on the mic and says they can laugh and smile while they still can because this Sunday they will get plastered on the pavement of Las Vegas Boulevard. Anarchy In The Arena will be the wildest match because they won’t accept anything less, and if they think the Blackpool Combat Club has gone too far, buckle your seatbelt as you haven’t seen anything yet.
Matches Of The Night
International Title Match- 7/10
Taya Valkyerie vs. Lady Frost- 7/10
Roderick Strong vs. Daniel Garica- 7/10
ROH World Tag Team Titles Match- 7/10
